1 hospitalized after Union Ave head-on collision

LACONIA — One person was hospitalized after a head-on crash on Union Avenue near Stark Street on Thursday afternoon.

Fire Chief Tim Joubert said the department responded to the scene at 2:12 p.m. on July 16, for a report of a two-car accident where an airbag opened and there was lots of damage. Engine 1 and Ambulance 1 responded to the scene, and drove one of the drivers to Concord Hospital-Laconia to be treated for what Joubert suspected were non-life-threatening injuries.

The fire department was back in service at 2:30 p.m., but an engine returned to the scene shortly after, to tend to a fuel spill, according to Joubert.

At about 2:20 p.m., Laconia Police and Fire vehicles were traveling on Union, with emergency lights flashing. At the scene, Gilford Police vehicles were parked in the road in front of a Hyundai Elantra and a Volkswagen Rabbit, both with significant damage to their front ends.

Police Chief Matt Canfield said a preliminary investigation found the Volkswagen was driving north on Union, and crossed over the turn lane and into the southbound lane, striking the Hyundai. It primarily collided with the front left side, but was considered a head-on collision, Canfield said.

The accident happened in front of Meineke, and manager Sabrina Mandigo was standing with lead technician Joe Moody in front of the shop as the Volkswagen was being loaded onto a tow truck.

Moody heard the collision, and saw the aftermath, but Mandigo witnessed the end of the accident, and saw the Hyundai spinning. They said the driver of the Hyundai was taken away by ambulance “immediately.”

Moody said the driver of the Hyundai appeared to have hit her hit head on the windshield, and while she was awake and standing, “she was dazed” and “bleeding pretty good.”

Ethan Livermore was a passenger in a Subaru with Colorado plates, traveling behind the Hyundai, heading toward downtown. He said he was visiting from Texas, and wasn't expecting to have such a close call on the road.

“We were just coming down Union, following the Hyundai Elantra, and saw other car drifting into this lane,” Livermore said. “We thought they were going to turn back into their lane, but didn’t, and they just hit the other car, head-on.”

Livermore saw the driver of the Hyundai taken away by ambulance, and said the other driver left in another vehicle.

“We submitted a report on what we saw,” Livermore said.

The Hyundai’s front end was severely damaged, and driver’s side airbags deployed. The vehicle’s hood was crushed, and much of the bumper was missing.

The Volkswagen’s airbags did not appear to have deployed, but the front end was also heavily damaged, with the bumper ripped off. The road was wet with fluid Thursday afternoon.

Bertocchi & Sons Towing & Recovery towed the vehicles from the scene, and their employees swept up debris.

Just before 3 p.m., Lt. Robert Cameron was in the center of Union Avenue, directing traffic, as other Laconia Police officers spoke with witnesses and surveyed the vehicles. Traffic was backed up in both directions on Union as the accident was cleared.

Canfield said no charges have been filed in the crash, but the collision is under investigation.